PRESTIGE BIOPHARMA DEVELOPS FIRST-IN-CLASS DIAGNOSTIC KIT FOR PANCREATIC CANCER

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- Prestige Biopharma Limited, a Singapore-based biopharmaceutical company, has developed a first-in-class diagnostic kit for pancreatic cancer.

According to Prestige Biopharma in a statement, pancreatic cancer is a characteristically aggressive tumour, with an extremely poor prognosis, as shown by a one-year survival rate of 10 to 23 per cent, and an estimated five-year survival rate of less than nine per cent.

The low survival rates associated with pancreatic cancer are attributed to late diagnosis coupled with non-specific symptoms, early metastasis, rapid progression and the lack of effective treatment modalities.

Thus, early detection and diagnosis are crucial for improving patient outcomes and increasing survival rates.

Prestige Biopharma is developing a diagnostic kit for the detection of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Upregulated Factor (PAUF), a distinctive tumour-specific biomarker overexpressed in approximately 80 per cent of pancreatic cancer cases, correlated with early progression and metastasis.

“The early detection of pancreatic cancer is just as crucial as effective treatment, given its reputation as a silent killer. As part of our efforts to combat this devastating disease, we are expanding into diagnostics using our innovative PAUF-based technology.

“Through the successful development of the diagnostic kit on top of a novel antibody, we believe our efforts will significantly benefit patients with pancreatic cancer and contribute to improving human health, which is exactly what our mission ‘Innovation for Life’ stands for,” said its chief executive officer, Dr Lisa S. Park.

The company has submitted a provisional patent application for the diagnostic method in South Korea and started partnership discussions with major diagnostic companies to co-develop and market the diagnostic kit to target the global market. 

In addition, Prestige Biologics, the Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization affiliate of the company, is in preparation to manufacture antibody diagnostic kits for clinical and commercial use.

-- BERNAMA